Lining and venting apparatuses are often used with chimneys to vent emissions from appliances therethrough. Such lining and venting systems are often connected, directly or indirectly, to the appliance creating the emissions that must be vented through the chimney. Such appliances may include, for example and without limitation, various types of furnaces and stoves. In some prior art systems, flexible liners have been operatively positioned within the chimney, and have been connected at their bottom end to a fitting. Such fittings have been provided with snouts integral or attached thereto that connect with an extension branch that connects to the appliance (or to a duct that leads thereto). Such extension branches can be quite lengthy and can be just one of multiple components connecting the snout to the appliance; even in instances of single extension branches they can be in excess of four feet in length.
It is known in the art to provide fittings that are attachable to the extension branches via the use of fasteners including, for example, screws, and rivets. Fastening of extension branches to fittings (or, indeed, any lining system components to be so fastened) by such means has been quite labor intensive, and can, in some instances, increased the incidence of corrosion and thereby undermine the integrity of the system.
Moreover, attachment of extension branches to the liner after the liner is drawn into the chimney is relatively difficult, insofar as the use of unwieldy implements is required when working with prior art systems. The extension branches must be connected to the snouts in a relatively snug fashion. Given the generally cramped size of the workspace, this can be quite difficult.
In addition, the length of the branch connected to the snout or fitting can make it exceedingly difficult to access the end of which such a connection is made. That is, the interface between the snout and the branch may be inaccessible, other then from the far end of the branch. It is desirable to provide extension branches and snouts (or fittings, if snouts are not employed) with a means of connecting same without need of much labour, and excessive manipulation on the part of a technician installing or maintaining same.
Similarly laborious means of connection have been provided in the prior art for connection of snouts to fittings, and of the liner to the fitting. In this latter instance, there is a high risk of perforation of the liner, and resulting corrosion of the fasteners employed in such applications, and, perhaps, leakage of gases. As such, it is also desirable to employ similarly improved connections in these additional areas of the chimney lining system.
With respect to the interface between the liner and the fitting, each has been typically provided having a substantially smooth surface to interact with alike smooth surface on the other. That is, a seal is effected merely by way of compression of the two together (as occurs, for example, when screws are tightened), rather than by any more sophisticated interaction. It is desirable to provide more contoured surfaces of the fitting and the liner, so as to facilitate a seal being effected therebetween (and/or at the interface thereof by engagement of a non-puncturing fastener).
It is also known in the art to attach vent caps over the upper end of the flexible liner, whereat the gases escape from the liner. Sadly, vent caps employed in the prior art often permitted water to run—generally down the outside of the flexible liner—into the chimney cavity, which resulted in increased incidence of deterioration of materials therein. Moreover, engagement of the vent cap with the top of the liner has typically been effected by way of the conventional fasteners (e.g., screws, etc.) discussed above, with similar problem to those discussed above being encountered. As such, it is desirable to provide a vent cap incorporating a means of deflecting water and, perhaps, objects from being allowed to run down the liner, and even from running down the side of or aside the liner into the chimney.
Attempts have been made, without success, to overcome the aforementioned problems. For example, some previous methods may have attempted to utilize relatively standard pipe-type fittings, e.g., with drawbands, clips and/or screws having been borrowed directly from the piping field, and misapplied, without any necessary adaptations, to the field of chimney liner systems so as to hold the fittings to the liner, the liner to the vent cap, the fittings to the snout, and the snout to the branch. In another example of a past failure to overcome the aforementioned problems, some may have tried to utilize a form of twist-lock mechanism for engagement of the tee to the extension.
There exists, therefore, an ongoing need for apparatuses for use with or as part of chimney lining systems that over come the foregoing disadvantages.
It is an object of an aspect of one preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide fastening devices to be built into some of the components of the apparatuses that are actuated by interaction of the components together, rather than by way of the use of hand tools to connect all the components.
It is an object of an aspect of one preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide fasteners built into the profile of the some of the components thereof, so as to reduce the amount of labor which might otherwise be required during installation and/or servicing of the apparatuses of the present invention.
It is an object of an aspect of one preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide means of fastening to a flexible liner that do not involve penetration thereof.
It is an object of an aspect of one preferred embodiment of the present to provide a tee branch that may, but need not necessarily, be nested within the interior of the tee during installation, so as to substantially eliminate and/or significantly reduce obstructions during installation.
It is an object of an aspect of one preferred embodiment of the present invention top provide a base tee member that snaps into its installed position easily once the flexible liner is in place.
It is an object of an aspect of one preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a first duct that attaches to a second duct, preferably so as to reduce or remove the need for tools.
It is an object of an aspect of one preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a flashing member with a collar into which a vent cap easily fits in sliding relation.
It is an object of an aspect of one preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide an inner skirt of the vent cap that may preferably, but need not necessarily, channel water into an interior of the flexible liner, preferably instead of allowing the water to run uncontrolled into the chimney cavity.
It is an object of an aspect of one preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a vent cap that is held in place by a single may preferably, but need not necessarily, be held in place with a simple finger tip clip.
It is an object of an aspect of one preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide for a much stronger grip of the fittings onto the flexible liner, preferably so as to eliminate or significantly reduce the potential that such fittings may slip-off during installation, servicing, and/or general use.
It is an object of an aspect of one preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide the second duct in a configuration adapted to fit within the flexible liner, preferably so as to eliminate or significantly reduce the potential of “hanging-up” within the chimney during installation.
It is an object of an aspect of one preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a ratchet clamp that may lock the flashing collar and the flexible liner securely into place, preferably so as to provide a substantially solid foundation point where the vent cap may preferably, but need not necessarily, be slipped into place and fastened down (preferably with a bendable anchor tab).
It is an object of an aspect of one preferred embodiment of the invention to achieve one or more of the aforementioned objects of the invention and/or to overcome, obviate, mitigate and/or traverse one or more of the aforementioned problems and/or disadvantages associated with the prior art.